


Some Things Are Meant To Be

by writeyourownlifestory



Series: Adventures in Being Soulmates [2]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-01-13 07:06:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21240137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeyourownlifestory/pseuds/writeyourownlifestory
Summary: Snapchats of Richie Tozier and Eddie Kaspbrak; two beautiful idiots who found out they were soulmates first and fell in love after.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello readers! Always knew I'd continue this in one way or another. This is just a series of one-shots of the guys dealing with the aftermath of their TIMERS. No idea when I'll be posting each chapter. Only have a few written, but I have plenty of ideas, so stay tuned!

_ ** Like a river flows surely to the sea ** _   
_ ** Darling, so it goes** _   
_ ** Some things are meant to be** _   
_ ** Take my hand, take my whole life too** _   
_ ** For I can't help falling in love with you** _

The crazy thing about having a soulmate is that you’d think it would come naturally. You’d think that because you’re literally meant to be with this one person that everything would be aligned and the universe would finally make sense. 

But that was a load of crap. 

Nothing got easier by having a soulmate; if anything it became more difficult. You had all these high hopes and expectations and none of it worked out the way it was supposed to. Or the way you thought it was supposed to. 

Richie had never been someone's boyfriend before, but he thought it would be easy enough. You know, hold their hand in public, try not to embarrass them. Kiss only them, sleep with only them. Be kind and thoughtful. Where could he possibly fuck up? 

Everywhere, apparently. 

They were in their thirties but sometimes it felt like they were fucking teens in high school, walking on eggshells around one another. Richie didn’t want to rush anything since he was still dealing with his former denial and realizing that Eddie had only gotten out of a relationship a little over a month ago. 

And Eddie didn’t want to rush it because he didn’t want to scare Richie by jumping right into being a couple. 

They took things slow, maybe a little too slow. They went on dates, but Richie hated it. Hated it because they never turned out good. They’d go out to dinner and Richie would take him to a sports bar that was too loud and too dark and the food was messy and the beer was gross. Eddie had taken him out and Richie felt completely out of place. The tables had nice napkins and the menus didn’t even have prices on them. It wasn’t like either of them was hurting for money, but he was in a blazer and Eddie wore a tie. 

It quickly dawned on him just how opposite they were. Richie would never call himself sloppy, but he lived to be casual. He loved graphic tee shirts with nice designs or funny sayings. He liked to wear short-sleeved button-downs with the buttons open wide. Top it off with his leather jacket and a pair of good sneakers and he was ready to go. 

Eddie dressed a bit more . . . professional. It was either polo shirts with boat shoes despite him not even owning a boat or perfectly shined dress shoes and a suit and tie. He owned multiple items by Armani and when the promotion from his office came along, he celebrated by buying himself a new pair of designer loafers that fit just right. 

When Richie’s latest special began getting raving reviews or when another script got greenlit for a film or show, he celebrated too, but mostly by going out and drinking. 

They didn’t go to clubs, thank god. Eddie gave up that ‘club boy scene’ after graduating college and Richie was pretty sure if he even went to a gay club he would sententiously combust. 

He spent so fucking long Trying to deny who he was that having to accept it and have the proof sitting on his wrist was a lot to take it. Like, a lot a lot. 

It caused a lot of their arguments, though not for the reason he thought it would. 

Three weeks into them dating, into being boyfriends, they start to argue.

At this point, the only thing Richie is confident in is kissing Eddie. Kissing and holding him, even if it’s only behind closed doors. After holding hands where no one could see and after a string of disappointing date nights, the only thing that seems to be on point for them is kissing. They had spent many nights making out on his pull out because Eddie’s apartment didn’t have a couch. 

He would push him away when things got too heavy-handed and while Eddie never seemed annoyed, never tried to go for more, Richie always felt like he was letting the other man down. 

He knew Eddie would grow tired of him. How could he not? He went back and forth endlessly. It was annoying and frustrating. Richie should be better than this. He was a fucking adult, he should be able to man up and handle this like a normal human being. But he was difficult and bratty and he understood why Eddie would get pissed off. 

He expected Eddie to get angry and yell at Richie, telling him to man up and admit to who he was and what they were. He thought Eddie would kick him out and maybe even get the stupid fucking TIMER removed because it was for the best. 

Problem was, he didn’t. 

Like, ever. 

He accepted that Richie wasn’t ready and he never complained about the crappy dates they went on. He never got angry when Richie wouldn’t cuddle with him when they’d go to the movies and he didn’t bat an eye when Richie would flinch away when their hands grazed together when they walked down the street. 

The kicker came when Richie had to interview for his latest show. It was relaxing and fun. He did interviews more often now that he was becoming a more well-known person. He wasn’t just Netflix or Comedy Central. He had writing credits for things. He was being given offers for movie roles. He was giving John Mulaney a run for his money. 

But unlike John Mulaney, Richie didn’t brag about his relationship. When asked if he was seeing someone, Richie just shook his head, giving a simple ‘no’ and then laughing and joking about something so they could move on. 

As they watched it back, Richie realized his mistake. He was sitting in his boyfriend's apartment, onto his boyfriend's bed. He was spending the night as Eddie was going to be participating in a marathon the following morning and they had to get up at the ass crack of dawn. Eddie wanted him there, but it wasn’t mandatory. Richie didn’t want to stand around and watch grown men and women run past him, but he felt like he had to be there. 

Eddie watched the interview and Richie wanted. Waited for him to get pissed off. Waited for him to get annoyed, and angry, and to ask Richie what the fuck he was thinking when they were together, but instead, he just smiled. 

“You did good,” He told him. “Not nervous at all. And you look great. I told you blue brings out your eyes.” 

“Are you kidding me right now?” Richie asked bluntly. 

“Why would I kid about that? You look gorgeous.” 

He did look good and Eddie was to thank for that. He helped him pick out the outfit and made sure that he shaved. He still wore those big goofy glasses, but Eddie loved them so they stayed. He looked better than he had in a while and that was all thanks to this tiny beautiful man. 

He hid his TIMER for professional reasons. He talked shit about the implant so suddenly revealing it would make things interesting in maybe not the best way. He wore a wristband that covered it easily enough and no one questioned it thankfully. 

Not even Eddie. He wasn’t bothered by it. Sometimes when they’d be at his place they’d cuddle and he’d run his fingers over the implant easily, just to play with it. Eddie knew his name was under there and yet he wasn’t bothered by Richie hiding it. By Richie hiding _him_. 

“I told them I was single,” Richie told him. “I’m not single, but I said I was. Why are you not bothered by that?” 

“Because I know the truth?” Eddie offered. “I know you’re not ready to come out and I get that.” 

“_How_?” Richie demanded. “How can you get it? How can you sit there and not get angry when I continue to fuck up?” 

“How are you fucking up?” 

“I’m not a good boyfriend! I don’t even think of myself as a boyfriend!” Boyfriends aren’t afraid to hold one another. Boyfriends took their significant other to places that weren’t loud and ugly and private. Boyfriends didn’t feel out of place when their significant other was trying to woo them. Richie Tozier wasn’t a boyfriend, he was a fucking fool who happened to belong to someone else. 

“Richie. Honey, I think you’re taking this too seriously.” 

“Maybe you’re not taking this seriously enough?” Richie snapped back. 

He pushed off the bed, pacing back and forth in front of the bed. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much. Why he needed this kick in the pants by Eddie, who just seemed so content to settle down with someone who wasn’t worthy of him. It just didn’t make fucking sense. 

“Are you seriously that desperate?”

“What?” 

“Are you so fucking desperate to not be alone that you’d allow me to drag you along without even caring about your own needs?” 

Eddie sat up in bed, his arms crossing over his chest. “Richie, you can’t be serious right now.” 

He was using his professional tone. The one he used when he meant business or really when Richie was being unbelievably stupid. 

“Why are you with me?” Richie challenged. “And don’t fucking saying because my name is on your wrist. Forget about that, okay? Why the fuck are you with me?” 

Eddie faltered. Not because he had to think about it or even because he was being put on the spot, but rather he just didn’t understand why the hell Richie was asking him this. 

“Because I fucking like you.” He answered simply. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Rich? Yeah, we’re not that alike, but opposites attract and all that shit. I’m fine with how things are, okay? I don’t need you to kiss me in public or fuck me on top of my car. I don’t need you to come out or anything like that. I just want you, as you are, okay?” 

Richie sat back on the bed, removing his glasses so he could rub his face with his hands. None of this made sense. What the fuck did he do to deserve such a caring person? Richie knew deep down that Myra had fucked up Eddie’s head, just the way his mom had, so maybe he just accepted whatever type of love he could get. 

Eddie deserved better and deep down inside of him, Richie knew he could be better. Eventually. 

They went to sleep then, with Eddie promising that it was fine and taking things one step at a time was fine. Richie fell asleep with a gorgeous man in his arms and he realized he was completely fucked. He was stuck with a guy he didn’t deserve and he had no idea how to fucking make anything better. 

When the morning came, they woke up and Richie stood off to the side and watched and waited for Eddie to come around the corner. Eddie had never done a marathon before but he liked to be healthy and wanted to give it a try. 

It was another difference for them. Eddie was tanned and toned and gorgeous. Richie had a dad's bod in the making and was scruffy. They didn’t look like they belonged together and if it wasn’t for the TIMER, Richie would have never believed they did. 

It started raining halfway through the marathon, but they didn’t cancel it. Eddie ran in the rain and Richie stood there, cheering him on. When it was over, he hugged him but didn’t kiss him. But the hug was good enough and when they went to get pizza to celebrate in their wet clothes and heavy eyes, Richie would himself having no regrets. 

Not even a week later when they were both sneezing and coughing and feeling like death. Eddie felt guilty for making them go out in such bad weather so when they both got sick he made it his mission to take care of them. 

They bought out the whole cold aisle from the pharmacy and shacked themselves up in Richie's apartment. They had the weekend off and both left like garbage. They slept most of the time, and when they weren’t sleeping they were cuddling together, watching movies and eating soup from the deli at the end of the street. 

Richie had been sick before, but never with someone else. Never had someone want to take care of him and never had someone he wanted to take care of. Eddie figured if they were both going to be miserable, at least they could keep each other company rather than suffering alone. 

They lived off Gatorade and NyQuil. Eddie was doting on Richie even despite feeling like he was dying and the fact that such an adorable germaphobe and apparent former hypochondriac could still bear to kiss him despite the absolute grossness of it all made Richie realize how fucking deep he was into this. 

He watched as Eddie slept so peacefully in his bed. He went out and bought brand new sheets when they started dating because he wanted Eddie to be comfortable in his bed even if they were just sleeping there. 

He looked so beautiful and understanding and Richie didn’t give a shit what the TIMER said. He knew deep in his fucking soul that he would love Eddie even if the universe didn’t tell him to do it first. 

Richie had been an idiot for so long so when this realization came over him, he decided to be an idiot for a little bit longer. 

Reaching out, he took Eddie’s hand, unbending it from where it was against his chest. He held his hand for a minute, toying with his fingers before going to lay his hand against Eddie’s. Their TIMERS were together, glowing in the dim light as their names screaming back to them. 

Richie took his phone and snapped a picture, smiling at it for a moment before going into Instagram. He didn’t post often and when he did it was usually stupid shit or snapshots of his specials. 

But he was popular enough to have a lot of followers and it was connected to his twitter that had even more. 

He thought for good while, wanting to think of the perfect caption. 

** _“We’re sneezy and snotty, and are just all-around gross and still choose to sleep in the same sweaty bed in our ugly, smelly clothes. Must be a soulmate thing.” _ **

He smirked to himself, deciding to tag Eddie into it. His profile was private, so it wasn’t like people could stalk him, but this way he would be known.

Richie’s fingers lingered on the screen before adding a few stupid hashtags like ‘_soulmate_’ and _‘timerbitch’_ and ‘_gayaf_’ before posting it. 

Tossing his phone onto the bedside time, Richie pulled off his glasses and moved to snuggle up to his boyfriend. He hadn’t ever spooned before, but they made it work. It would be another adjustment, but that was fine. They had all the time in the world to make this work. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's next for the apprehensive soulmates? Let's find out, shall we?

Having a soulmate is interesting. It is. Having your name on someone’s arm, knowing that you belong to them and they belong to you, is a wild experience. 

Having a soulmate that is very well known, however, is even wilder. 

Richie’s coming out didn’t hit Eddie right away. Truth was, he didn’t have the notifications on his phone set up for any social media apps. He had his Instagram private and his twitter was nonexistent. He used it to follow celebs and political issues, but never said anything about himself. 

So when Richie decided to up and tag him in his literal coming outpost, he was completely unaware. It wasn’t until two days later when they went out to brunch and he wanted to post a picture of their meal did he see all the sudden friend requests. 

His Instagram was mostly used for scenery shots or different meals. Eddie hadn’t been allowed to eat a lot of stuff growing up because his mother was her insistent that certain foods would cause cancer and shit. When he moved into college he began experimenting with everything. Food, drinks, his sexuality. College was a great time for Eddie. 

He carried some of that over to him now and continued to go to restaurants that his mother would huff at and make foods that Myra would scoff at. Richie wasn’t picky eating in the least and even if he would butcher the pronunciation of how certain things would be said, he was always happy to sit down and try something new.

Their relationship wasn’t perfect, but Eddie didn’t want it to be. Everything with Myra was perfect on the outside. Sickeningly so. They looked nice together; as a stock photo for a picture frame. They always went to the same restaurants and ordered the same meals. Drank the same wine and went to bed at the same time. 

With Richie, everything was unexpected and unpredictable and while his younger self was having a fucking panic attack at the very idea of it, Eddie himself was loving it. 

Eddie didn’t know half the people wanting to add him on Instagram so he found it very odd when so many showed up do too so. And it wasn’t an odd amount like seventeen. Oh no. There were _hundreds_ of people requesting to follow. Hundreds of people sliding into his DMs asking him all about his relationship with Richie. 

He didn’t even know how they knew he was with Richie until he scrolled onto his page and saw the picture for himself. 

He didn’t know what to make of it. He wasn’t angry or hurt by it, but rather confused. In all the ways he could think of coming out, he chose to go with an Instagram post? One where they aren’t even seen except for their TIMERS. There was no way of denying it because the proof was on their wrists.

Part of him wanted to tell Richie he should have asked him first, but he knew that would never happen. Richie was a do or don’t type of person. There was no talking. Communicating, despite being his career, wasn’t his strong suit so Eddie knew that talking about it wouldn’t help in the least. He made his choice and now they had to live with it. 

Eddie was safe for the most part. He had a couple of people at work question it, finding it interesting, but they respected his privacy enough. 

It wasn’t until they went to LA for a show of Richie’s that he was bombarded with people questioning him. 

See, the thing is, when your soulmate became family bashing other people with soulmates, things get complicated. 

Everybody wanted to know why Richie got the TIMER if it was even real. If it was a stunt for his career or something like that. Just walking down the street people would shove mics in their faces and ask them questions. Some of which Eddie didn’t even have an answer to despite them thinking he did. 

Everybody wanted something from them and there was no hiding from it. Richie apologizes for fifty times over, knowing damn well this was going to happen. 

“What other choice did we have?” Eddie replied softly. It was either come out or hide forever and neither of us wanted to hide.”

“I also didn’t want you to be thrust into the fucking limelight,” Richie complained, groaning into his hands. “I shouldn’t have tagged you. I should have just come out as gay and kept the TIMER hidden.” 

“Somebody would have spotted it eventually, Rich.” Eddie ran a hand down his back, trying his best to sooth the other male. 

“Then they would have seen EDWARD and I would have come out about that too, but at least then nobody would have known who you are.” 

“Maybe so, but then we’d still be hiding.” Eddie countered. He moved around Richie, going in front of him so they could look eye to eye. “Rich. I need you to understand something. This is not what I signed up for, but at the same time, it sort of is.” 

“That makes no fucking sense.” 

“Am I completely comfortable with people knowing everything about us? No, and I don’t think I ever will be. But that is just apart of being with you. You’re a celebrity! Sure, you may not be recognized everywhere you go, but you’re well known and if I want to be with you, I have to get used to people recognizing me too.” 

“And you’re sure you want to?” Richie asked, leaning back as he spoke. “Be with me, I mean.”

“Rich,” Eddie sighed, looking at him like he just asked if the grass was green or if the sky was blue. What a stupid question from an adorable man. 

“I’m just checking,” Richie insisted. “You wouldn’t have to deal with this if it wasn’t for the fucking implant.” 

“No, but you know what I would be dealing with? Planning a wedding with a woman I didn’t love.”

“Instead you’re sitting in a penthouse with a guy you kind of like.” Richie countered. 

“Exactly. I kind of like you and you kind of like me too, even though I rearranged your suitcase and you couldn’t find your cigarettes.” 

“Because you didn’t pack them.” Richie pulled Eddie closer then, going to rest his head on his shoulder. “Can’t even get angry at you. This is bullshit.”

“Must be a soulmate thing,” He laughed softly, turning his head to kiss Richie’s ear. 

They sat like that for a moment, not wanting to move just yet. None of this was easy and it wasn’t going to get any easier, just more bearable. Eddie knew he couldn’t compare his relationship with Myra to Richie for several reasons. 

He was genuinely happy here, wherewith Myra he was just putting on a happy face just to get by. Richie and he rarely fought, mostly because they were trying so hard to find their footing around one another. They would have tiny arguments, but Richie would never yell at him the same way Myra would. 

They hadn’t had sex yet, but that was fine. Richie was still trying to find his place in this new out and open version of himself. They had fooled around like a couple of teenagers, heavy petting and touching. 

Richie had given him an incredibly sloppy blow job and the fact that he could look up at Eddie and smile and look so god damn adorable was enough for Eddie to realize this was real these feelings weren’t going away. 

“Hey. Wanna send people into a frenzy?” He asked, pulling away from Richie with a deep smile. 

Richie raised a brow above his glasses, his dark head cocks ever so slightly to the side the same way a dog would. Going into his pocket, Eddie fished out his phone. 

The thing was Eddie had never been camera shy. He didn’t like people taking his pictures because they always caught him at such a terrible angle, but he was the one taking the pictures, he knew how to make it look pretty decent. 

He folded himself back into Richie and held the phone up, letting Richie hold him closely as he snapped a picture. 

“Send me that,” He requested, letting Eddie crop the picture properly. 

After sending it to Richie, he opened his twitter with had gained hundreds of followers since they’ve gotten together. He now had thousands, which was ridiculous, but that was fine. He properly tweeted the picture, tagging Richie in it and promptly bragged about Richie’s sold-out show that following Friday. 

Just as he sent the tweet, he caught Richie in the corner of his eye turning that photo into his lock screen background and his heart fluttered. Richie rolled his eyes at the tweet but liked it regardless, retweeting it with the comment that it was nice to be dating a fan. 

Eddie smirked, tossing his phone away as it began to buzz with the impending reactions. Maybe dating a celebrity would be fun after all. 


	3. Chapter 3

Richie wasn’t a virgin. Like, at all. Not like he slept around or anything another wasn’t anything wrong if you did sleep around, but he didn’t. Richie’s sex life was a strange enigma that he tried not to think about when he and Eddie became an item. 

Of course, how the hell are you supposed to date someone and not thinks about having sex with them? Eddie was adorable and gorgeous. He dressed better than Richie could ever dream up. Honest, he should be in commercials with his loafers and suits. He put Richie to shame every single time they went out. 

They would be photographed together and it was an absolute joke. Eddie looked like a fucking Armani model with his nice hair and sunglasses and smart attire and Richie looked like a fucking joke. And he knew jokes, he literally role them on the daily. 

He had tried to clean himself up more for Eddie’s take. He combed his hair before he left the apartment and got rid of his clothing that was stained. He sent his clothes out to be pressed and shaved his face neatly. He still swore button-downs with the buttons open wide over tee shirts, but he also bought sweaters and sometimes he’d wear flannel. Eddie thought he’d look nice in flannel. 

Richie never believed you should change yourself for a person but he wanted to impress Eddie, to make his life a little easier. People were going to stare at them regardless, take their pictures. At least if they both looked good it wouldn’t be such a disaster. 

He invited Eddie to move in with him less than three months into dating. He hadn’t been thinking about it if he could be honest. Their relationship was still fresh and new and two to three nights out of the week he would be over Eddie’s place or Eddie would be over his. 

Eddie leased a small apartment for only three months and he had no intention of extending it because the place was small and the kitchen was nonexistent. He had been looking for other places, trying to find somewhere near his office and wasn’t too far out of his budget. 

He had been struggling a bit when Richie blurted it out. 

“Why don’t you just stay with me?” 

They were at his place and Eddie was on his computer, debating if he wanted to check out a place uptown. It wasn’t an idea, but the neighborhood was decent and the streets were clean. It was expensive and Eddie figured he’d have to give up on that new car he was hoping for. Richie watched as his face turned into that signature Eddie Look that was too adorable for words when he finally just said it. 

Eddie was surprised and Richie wasn’t surprised he was surprised. They had been taking it slow for confirmed soulmates. Yeah, they went on dates and they shared a bed they other than making out and some hand stuff and the one time Richie got drunk celebrating his special being nominated for an Emmy and he sucked Eddie’s dick, that’s as far as they went. 

Eddie was apprehensive over it because that’s just how Eddie was. He liked to plan and overthink everything around them. Eddie had to be completely sure before he made any decision and this was no different. 

Richie pitched it the same way he would one of his scripts. He showed the different options and outweighed the bad with the good. His place was large enough for both of them. He had a second room that he used as his writing room, but he could clear it to put and put a second bed in there if Eddie wanted his own space. 

He went back and forth between California and New York so he would be there half the time and then not there, so Eddie would still have a place of his own. Being apart sucked more than Richie ever wanted to admit to. 

He had been so used to being single that actually having someone to call and talk to, having someone to miss and miss him back was so new and strange, but he wouldn’t give it up for the world. Long-distance was hard, but not for the reasons people believed. 

He didn’t have people constantly flirting with him; he didn’t have those dark thoughts of cheating or suggesting an open relationship. Richie didn’t need to have someone to take care of him for a night. He was a grown man; he could jerk himself off if he wasn’t lonely. 

When he missed Eddie it’s because he missed those little arguments they’d have to that cute smile from him. He missed the way he would ramble on and on about anything and everything that popped into his head. 

He missed having someone hold his hand when they walked down the street. He had never been a fan of PDA but he strongly liked having Eddie’s own personal brand of possessiveness when they were together. 

And he missed him because even when they were apart, Eddie was with him. His name was there, right on his wrist, glowing brightly in the dark of the night when he’d be on the road or in his penthouse in LA. 

Richie found himself getting angry over it because he never signed up for these emotions. He never cared about being with someone until he was with someone so when they were apart, it hurt. It was absolute bullshit and he hated it. 

So yeah. He did want Eddie to move in with him, whether or not his lease was up. 

So he did. 

It was an adjustment in the beginning. Eddie had a lot of clothes, which wasn’t a surprise, so Richie gave up his entire closet, choosing to just stick with his dresser. Their schedules were mostly flipped with Eddie working his usual 9-5 and Richie not having to leave the house until it got dark out. 

Eddie would always wake up early to go jogging which sucked because of one) it would mean having Eddie untangle himself from the sheets and Richie since they found that they were both pretty clingy when it came to sleeping and two) Richie hated waking up alone. Sometimes he would ask Richie to join which was terrible because Richie hated running and loved sleeping, but seeing Eddie in his running attire was pretty fucking awesome. 

He wouldn’t always go and Eddie wouldn’t always ask, but when he did, he’d pull himself up just to get up and do it. 

Richie found it very strange. He would be bending over, panting and trying to keep himself from vomiting, and would just be thinking about how quickly his life changed. He went from a grown-ass man who was denying his true self all because of inner demons he couldn’t seem to release to jogging at six am with his live-in boyfriend; his fucking soulmate. 

How did this shit happen? How do you go from one to the other? Richie didn’t know and overthinking it hurt his head. 

Eddie moved in and it was wonderful. It was practically romantic at this point. He’d come home and not have to worry about texting Eddie or calling him or showing up at his itty-bitty living space to see how his day was. Eddie was there or when Richie would be busy on the couch, typing away on his newest ideas, Eddie would come home from work. 

He’d be exhausted and sometimes he would want to talk about it. Or other times he wouldn’t want to talk at all and he’d just want to join Richie on the couch with a beer in hand. They were still working on their dynamic but he loved it regardless. 

They’d have dinner together which was awesome because he never used his kitchen before Eddie. Now they would look up different recipes; Eddie had a Pinterest board dictated just to the things they could make. They had fucking meal plans which were the lamest fucking thing Richie could think of but Eddie liked to plan and he’d be damned if he ruined that for his boyfriend. 

He had a fucking boyfriend. A boyfriend that people knew about. He was out and sharing a bed with Eddie. Granted, he was tall as hell, so he always had a huge bed, but now there was somebody else in there with him. He had someone to cuddle with. 

Richie had never been a cuddly person. 

Okay, that was a fucking lie. 

Richie was touchy. He liked to put disarms around people; he liked to snuggle, and cuddle, and hold hands, but he never did that before because he had been taught that men don’t do that. Men can’t be soft, or sweet, or gentle. Growing up in a small town fucked with his head, but Eddie was helping him with that. 

Eddie taught him every single day that it was okay to feel things. It was okay to cry, and want to hold a hand. He had been thinking about going to a therapist just so he could moan, groan, bitch, and cry to somebody else other than his boyfriend because he didn’t want to turn Eddie into his crutch. He wanted Eddie to be the person he trusted but didn’t want to make him be the only person he could speak to. 

Eddie was flipping his entire life upside-down and Richie fucking loved it. 

So no, they hadn’t had sex yet and strangely enough, Richie didn’t mind. 

He had sex with people before. Men and women. Men, which was horrifying because he loved it despite being terrified because even though he was incredibly gay and being with a guy felt good and right, Richie still hide it from himself. And he’d have sex with women because it was easier and he could openly flirt with them, and he’d do it to convince himself that maybe, just maybe, he did like it, which was useless cause, yeah he’d get his dick hard but he’d have to be hammered to do it. 

Now he got his dick hard just looking at Eddie in his running shorts or talking about making plans. Who the fuck got hard over making plans to go for brunch? Who the fuck went for brunch? 

Two openly gay men, that’s who. 

Okay, so one openly gay man and one openly bisexual man who was so patient and kind it made Richie want to bash his head into a wall some nights.

Richie had been thinking about what their first time would be like. 

Whether it would be rushed after Eddie got home from work. If they’d strip each other, leaving clothes all through the place as they got back to the bedroom. 

Or if it would be slow and romantic. They would have candles and slow music. Richie didn’t even know what type of music. No, he did. Michael Bolton, definitely. 

Richie thought about planning it out because Eddie likes planning but how the fuck do you plan something like that without losing your fucking nerve. He wanted it to be spontaneous but the chance never came. Richie was starting to wonder if ever even would because it seemed like they never got the chance. Never a day off, never a chance to prepare.

And to be honest that was fine. Richie has always loved sex, but for so long he did it with so much panic that the actual act was almost terrifying. Eddie admitted that he had sex with guys in college and Myra a time or two but she never seemed overly interested in it so he taught himself to just think away any boner he got and jerk off in the shower like any other guy. 

They talked about it a time or two but never in full-on detail. They were always so good used on other shit that sex seemed to be the last thing on their mind. Richie wondered if this was what his thirties would be like. Sexless, but comfortable.

They eventually do get around to having it though not when they thought they would. Eddie had an event for work; some fancy dinner that was mostly just talking about how well they were doing for the quarter. You could bring significant others and Eddie asked Richie if he wanted to go.

Richie had been to fancy parties before in Hollywood, where everyone was beautiful and they were all drinking or finding ways to do drugs. Richie had dabbled in a bit during his early twenties. When he was nervous and so far into the closet, he was chilling with that fucking talking lion. 

Now he was older and a little bit wiser and he wanted to enjoy every second of his life. He understood that life was short, but no one wrote great lines while hopped on cocaine. Or maybe they did and Richie just wrote better while sober. 

Either way, he put on a nice suit and combed his hair; he put on a new pair of glasses that Eddie had helped pick out and followed his adorable soulmate through the room. The party itself wasn’t overly boring. The food was decent and the champaign was free. He stayed by Eddie’s side because even though he had a way around him and could make himself comfortable in any situation, he preferred to stay by the person he knew. 

Eddie introduced him easily, never wavering or stuttering. He was his boyfriend. They were together. They shared a home and Eddie’s left wrist was Richie’s name. There was no hiding or denying. Eddie, who less than a year ago was planning a wedding to someone completely different, was holding Richie’s hand and laughing at the PG jokes that he told. He stood close and kept his hand on the small of Richie’s back as if to offer a silent reminder that they were in this together. 

They walked home because their apartment was within walking distance. They weren’t drunk; barely even tipsy. They were laughing and talking about something completely irrelevant. They kicked off their shoes and took off their jackets, roaming the kitchen for something to eat. They had small plates and actual meals, but they were grown man who spent the night drinking, laughing, and mingling. They needed some junk off in their stomachs. 

Living with Eddie meant saying goodbye to actual garbage. Canned cheese, and pop tarts, and honestly anything fully sugar-based had to go but Richie didn’t mind so much. Eddie could cook which meant their actual meals were delicious and nutritious.

Don’t get them wrong. It’s not like Eddie was completely against anything terrible. He stocked the freezer with ice cream and chocolate Pebbles was kept in the cabinet for breakfast. He just wanted to find a good balance of it and that’s perfectly fine with Richie. 

That night they went for bowls of ice cream as they sat on the couch, watching whatever they could find on tv. Eddie scrolled on Netflix and toyed with the idea of playing one of Richie’s specials but Richie nearly smacked the controller out of his hand. 

They settled on some season film which they half watched as they partially eating, partially kissing on one another like teenagers on a date. 

They were dumb and bashful, their kisses taking like peanut butter and coffee; both ice cream flavors mixing perfectly. It was almost ridiculous, but both loved it. They continued to kiss, and eat, and talk, allowing the night to dwindle down until both were aching to lay on their bed. 

They put the bowls in the sink, taking the second to rinse them beforehand. They went to their room and changed slowly, both watching the other under hooded eyes. 

They weren’t rushing. Weren’t overly nervous. Richie didn’t feel like he was going to throw up as he had on every other homosexual encounter prior to Eddie. 

Eddie was kind enough to take the lead, obviously having more experience with this even if it had been years since he was last with a guy. Eddie bottomed, though they didn’t exactly discuss it. 

Richie wasn’t much of a preference as the actual act of being with a guy, whether doing the fucking or being fucked was still so taboo in his own mind. 

Richie didn’t think about them on this night, however. Those dark thoughts didn’t pop into his mind when he was laying naked on the bed with Eddie under him. The echoing words to _not touch the boys_ didn’t scream repeatedly in his brain when he was deep inside of Eddie. And no taunting of a dirty little secret was even thought of when he was kissing, and fucking, and touching Eddie throughout the night. 

Richie was a lanky bastard who knew how to move his hips and Eddie was a petite angel who was pretty fucking bendy. Richie thanked God daily for those gorgeous legs and began rethinking that, yeah maybe they should keep up that jogging routine that Eddie had going on. 

They had forged the condom mostly because neither thought to buy them. Eddie had purchased lube the last time he went to the pharmacy and while condoms should have been key, it just never came to mind. 

Richie didn’t care. He was clean and he had the chart to prove it. Eddie was the same and while it took some prep and Richie was fairly certain that seeing his fingers disappear inside of Eddie. 

The whole experience was a fucking godsend and Richie couldn’t stop thinking about Eddie’s legs wrapped around him, or bending Eddie over his deck or even having Eddie bend him over the couch. All these thoughts took over him even while he was still doing the simple act because it was just that intense for him. 

When they finished, they were left panting, collapsing on the bed. The sheets were stained with a mix of sweat and cum and Richie knew that despite how tired they were, there was no way they’d be sleeping on those sheets, though he couldn’t care about that at the moment.

He was kissing Eddie’s jawline, Eddie’s face, and finally Eddie’s list. It felt so incredible and Richie was so thankful that they crossed this bridge that he almost wanted to cry, maybe even thank him orally just for allowing him to touch him. 

He must have said it aloud, because suddenly Eddie was laughing, his fingers combing through his hair, which had begun to stick to his forehead. “Anytime, baby. Anytime,” He replied softly. 

They did, in fact, change the sheets, both aching a bit more than expected though Richie blamed that on lack of ability and not age. They climbed on together, cuddling in close as they turned off the light. 

Richie didn’t know when they’d do it again. Maybe in the morning, Eddie would wake him up by straddling and riding him along with the sunrise or maybe it would be a few days until they got pretty wild. Richie was excited but patient. 

Richie pulled Eddie into him, letting the dark of the night embrace him as their matching implants glowed against their wrist. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this whole series. Unsure if I'll write more, but who knows! Please tell me down below what you thought!

**Author's Note:**

> Shout out to Nani for putting up with my constant rewrites and for making be the gorgeous mood board you you saw above.


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